MACON, Ga. – Joseph Fernando and Nate Sterijevski each went 3-for-5 at the dish, but it was not enough on Friday evening as visiting Bethune-Cookman fell to Mercer, 13-7 at OrthoGeorgia Park in the opening game of a three-game series in Macon, Georgia. The game was the season opener for both teams.
 
Mercer (1-0) wasted little time getting to Bethune-Cookman starting pitcher Tyler Norris, as the Bears picked up three runs in the first inning.
 
Brandon Michie registered a three-run homer to left center for the game's opening scores as he crossed teammates Alex Hanson and JT Thomas.
 
First-year acting head coach Barrett Shaft of Bethune-Cookman (0-1) made the call to the bullpen in the third when the homestanding Bears scored six more runs on the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School alum, who might have had more than baseball on his mind following the tragedy at his former school just days ago in Parkland, Florida.
 
Brandon Michie drove in his fourth run of the game with a double to left that scored JT Thomas for the 4-0 Mercer lead in the top of the third. First baseman Sean McDermott delivered a run-scoring single with the bases loaded, followed by Alex Crotty being hit by a pitch for an easy RBI. That would be the end of the line for Norris, an All-MEAC pitcher.
 
Shaft went to sophomore Isaak Gutierrez out of the bullpen, but it was R.J. Yeager quickly collecting a sacrifice fly to left in order to score designated hitter Le Bassett from third. A wild pitch from the Norwalk, California right-hander would advance runners up a base, setting the stage for Alex Hanson's two-run single back up the middle.
 
David Posas and JT Thomas would each record RBI singles to put the Bears up, 11-0 after three innings played.
 
BCU (0-1) would get on the board in the top of the fourth when the Wildcats finally touched Mercer left-hander Austin Cox.
 
Senior third baseman Jameel Edney began the inning with a single, followed one pitcher later by shortstop Nate Sterijevski's first home run of the year to bring the Maroon and Gold to within, 11-2. Second baseman Joseph Fernando would plate Chase DeBonis and Josten Heron with a single up the middle, allowing the Cats to pull within, 11-4.
 
The Bears would answer in the bottom of the inning with McDermott's two-run homer to left center, pushing the Mercer lead out to 13-4.
 
Once again, BCU would rally for two runs in the top of the fifth.
 
Junior first baseman Danny Rodriguez greeted Mercer relief pitcher Zach Graveno rather rudely with a leadoff homer to straightaway center field, the first of the year for the Pembroke Pine, Florida native. Later in the Wildcats at-bat, Heron would push across junior transfer Zach Spivey with a single up the middle.
 
Bethune-Cookman trailed 13-6 after five innings of play.
 
The Cats would plate a final run in the top of the ninth using an Edney RBI single through the left side that allowed senior Adonis Lao to score on the play for the final 13-7 margin in favor of the Bears.
 
The win would go to Austin Cox (1-0) as he worked four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits and striking out eight batters against just one walk. The loss went to Tyler Norris (0-1) as he went just 2.1 innings on the rubber, allowing nine runs on six hits, a walk and two strikeouts.
 
Gutierrez worked 3.2 innings out of the bullpen for the Cats, while junior Tyler Krull went the final two frames on the mound, allowing just one hit and fanning a pair of Bears.
 
The BCU offense was led by Fernando's three-hit, two-RBI debut, as well as Sterijevski's three hits, two RBIs and a run with the big homer. Rodriguez and Edney each tallied a pair of hits, as well as Heron with a RBI and a run scored to match his classmate Rodriguez and senior team captain Edney.
 
Bethune-Cookman will look to even the series with the Bears back at OrthoGeorgia Park when the two teams square off at 2 p.m. Scheduled to take the mound for the Wildcats is sophomore right-hander and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Pitcher of the Year Anthony Maldonado. Mercer will counter with right-hander Chase Burks on the mound.
 
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